manslaughter

man·slaugh·ter   (mān'slô'tər)    n.  The unlawful killing of one human by another without express or implied intent to do injury.

manslaughter [(man-slaw-tuhr)]

The unlawful killing of a person, without malice or premeditation. Involuntary manslaughter is accidental, such as running into someone with a car. Voluntary manslaughter is committed in the “heat of passion,” as in a spontaneous fight in which one person is killed by a strong blow. Manslaughter is usually considered less serious than murder. Both murder and manslaughter are types of homicide.

manslaughter 

Main Entry: man·slaugh·ter
Pronunciation: 'man-"slo-t&r
Function: noun
: the unlawful killing of a human being without malice —compare HOMICIDE, MURDER

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involuntary manslaughter
: manslaughter resulting from the failure to perform a legal duty expressly required to safeguard human life, from the commission of an unlawful act not amounting to a felony, or from the commission of a lawful act involving a risk of injury or death that is done in an unlawful, reckless, or grossly negligent manner —see also reckless homicide at HOMICIDE
NOTE: The exact formulation of the elements of involuntary manslaughter vary from state to state esp. with regard to the level of negligence required. In states that grade manslaughter by degrees, involuntary manslaughter is usually graded as a second- or third-degree offense.

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misdemeanor–manslaughter
: involuntary manslaughter occurring during the commission of a misdemeanor —compare felony murder at MURDER

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voluntary manslaughter
: manslaughter resulting from an intentional act done without malice or premeditation and while in the heat of passion or on sudden provocation
NOTE: In states that grade manslaughter by degrees, voluntary manslaughter is usually a first-degree offense.

Main Entry: man·slaugh·ter
Pronunciation: 'man-"slot-&r
Function: noun
: the slaying of a human being; specifically : theunlawful killing of a human being without express or implied malice

manslaughter

in Anglo-American criminal law, a category of criminal homicide that generally carries a lesser penalty than the crime of murder. Different legal systems use different criteria to distinguish the kinds and degrees of unjustified killing. See homicide.

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